Our View: Make a clean sweep

Sadly, Mark Twain's famous quote about the weather -- "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it" -- too often applies to local litter control and beautification efforts.

Not so on March 24 when a horde of volunteers will attack Magnolia Bowl with brooms and paint brushes in Part 2 of a five-part plan to revive the derelict football stadium.

Next week's effort, Clean Sweep Columbus, will be orchestrated by the Link'd Young Professionals and Keep Columbus-Lowndes Beautiful, who, with the help of 300 volunteers, painted and planted around the Highway 45 gate to the stadium this time last year. That effort transformed an eyesore into an attractive and much-needed entrance to downtown.

We applaud organizer Jason Spears and his merry band of volunteers. They have recognized a community need and are doing more than talk about it.

"One of the key things is awareness," Spears told a Dispatch reporter for a story in today's paper. "People should make this a habit every day, to clean up after themselves, to pick up trash they see on the sidewalk. We're all in this together... "

Spears is hoping 450 to 600 volunteers show up at the Hitch Lot a week from Saturday for the event. Sounds like fun. It's a fine opportunity to give something to your hometown and to work with other community-minded citizens for a good cause.

Organizers say the show will go on, rain or shine. Also, be sure to take advantage of the e-cycle day, on the Friday preceding Clean Sweep. That day you can dispose of old computers, monitors, cell phones -- even CDs and DVDs -- at the Hitch Lot.

Another citizen-driven beautification effort we've reported on is the Master Gardeners' revamping of the flower beds at the downtown post office. The result couldn't be nicer.

When people come together for a good cause, there are the obvious benefits -- a public need is addressed -- and the less obvious. Public-spirited people come to know each other. Relationships are formed. The community is strengthened.